Incredible black-and-white photos show the real Glastonbury Festival through the years… from revellers partying topless to ALL that mud

As revellers descend on Somerset for Glastonbury Festival, take a look back at the festival as you've never seen it before

By George Harrison

21st June 2017,3:52 pm

Updated: 21st June 2017,5:19 pm

THESE incredible black-and-white photos show Britain’s best-known festival as you’ve never seen it before.

As thousands of revellers start descending on Somerset for this year’s Glastonbury we take a look back through the archives when the crowds were thinner – but the mud just as thick.

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This shot, taken in 1971, shows the first time the Pyramid stage was used. Back in 1971, the festival was known as Glastonbury Fair, and was a far cry from the jam-packed festival we know today

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By 1982, when this shot was taken, Glasto had already morphed into something special. The festival was founded by Michael Eavis, who owns the land where it is held

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Glasto is well known for being a complete mud-bath. This shot of a man crashed out in a muddy mess, snapped in 1982, proves the festival has always been a muddy affair

A muddy reveller can be seen bathing in the sun in this shot from 1992. Tom Jones was a surprise guest at the festival that year, which attracted 70,000 attendees

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A shot from 1993 shows a singer dancing in a traditional African-style robe. By this time, Glaso was drawing crowds of 80,000

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Glasto has never shied away from its hippy roots. This shot was taken in 1994, the first year when a wind turbine was used to power some of the main stage area

Britain’s most famous festival takes place over five days at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset.

The festival is named after the quirky town of Glastonbury, which is the closest big settlement and 20 minutes’ drive from the farm itself.

As locals will tell you, the festival has evolved drastically from its humble beginnings – although the mud is a permanent fixture.

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Andrew Kerr was an organiser back when Glasto was known as the Glastonbury Folk Festival. Since then, Glasto has morphed into an international phenomenon

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This shot , taken in 1971, shows a naked cyclist at the Glastonbury Fair. Back in 1971, headline acts included Hawkwind and David Bowie, and attendance was around 12,000

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Organiser Michael Eavis, pictured with wife Janet in 1989, is a political activist and philanthropist. He donates many of the festival profits to charities such as Greenpeace

This shot from 1992 shows a group of revellers making the best of the mud. Back in 1992, a ticket to the festival would set you back just £49

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A shot from 1994 shows a reveller with a distinct punk style. In 1994, the Pyramid stage burned down in the early hours of the morning – although a last-minute replacement was, thankfully, provided by a local company

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One shot from 1989 shows a passed-out traveller lying in the grass. Headlined by Elvis Costello, the festival resulted in £100,000 being raised for the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament

The festival was founded in 1970 by Michael Eavis, the owner of Worthy Farm.

In its first year, Glasto was known as Pilton Pop Folk & Blues Festival, morphing into Glastonbury Fair one year later.

But what started out as a small hippy gathering evolved into a revered event which now attracts over 175,000 revellers every year.

Taken in 1971, this shot shows a group of women who decided to let it all hang out

Another photo from 1971 shows revellers dancing the day away. The hippy gathering was planned by Andrew Kerr and Arabella Churchill and there was no fee to enter the grounds

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A shot from 1985 shows a pair of boots left behind in the famous Glasto mud. By this time, Worthy Farm was too small for the number of attendees, so nearby farmland was bought to expand the grounds

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A snap from 1989 shows a group of friends chatting and smoking on the bonnet of a car. Complications over festival licencing with the local council led to the police being brought in to organise and plan the festivities

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This shot from 1994 shows a group of festivalgoers gathering outside a tea stand. Glastonbury’s first ever death occurred as a result of a drug overdose that year